GRAPEFRUIT ROUNDUP Tribe/Bucs

Braves 4, Indians 1

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Moments after the no-hitter was no more, Atlanta manager Bobby Cox was disappointed. No kidding. “Almost,” Cox said after the Braves came within one out of a combined no-hitter. “Dang it. Almost.” Danny Sandoval hit a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning off reliever Colter Bean — Atlanta’s seventh pitcher — for Cleveland’s only hit and Mark Teixeira homered and drove in two runs. Bean, who walked two in the ninth, had one strike on Sandoval when the infielder lined a shot off the right-field wall to score Beau Mills, the Indians’ first-round draft pick last year. “I didn’t think about the no-hitter until after the fact,” Bean said. “Then I thought, ‘Well, I’m the king of that.’ I ruined a couple of no-hitters in the minors.” Cox has seen more than his share of great pitching performances during 22 seasons with the Braves. And he’ll always appreciate one whether it’s March, June or October or in Florida, Arizona or anywhere else. “It doesn’t matter if it’s spring training or not,” he said. “You always want one of those.” Cleveland starter Paul Byrd worked three scoreless innings, striking out two. Byrd’s only blemish was losing track of the outs in the second.

Tigers (ss) 4, Pirates 1

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates probably don’t look any different to former manager Lloyd McClendon than they did when he managed them from 2001-05. They are still relying mostly on lesser-paid, lower-profile players. Still trying to get by with a payroll that is by far the lowest in the NL Central, one that is less than half that of the Chicago Cubs’ projected $115 million. “It takes time and, I know people don’t want to hear that, and it takes money, and you’ve got to have the right combination of those two,” McClendon said before managing a Tigers split squad past the Pirates. Marcus Thames hit a two-run homer in the third off Ian Snell, and Tigers starter Yorman Bazardo walked three but didn’t allow a hit or a run over two innings. For the Pirates, the times and the lack of dimes never seem to change. McClendon, now a Tigers coach, was back in a familiar role managing at McKechnie Field. Tigers manager Jim Leyland remained in Lakeland as the club played split-squad games, so McClendon ran the team that went to Bradenton. In the opposing dugout, he saw plenty of Pirates players he helped groom into big leaguers. The most prominent is shortstop Jack Wilson, who was promoted from Double-A to the minors upon McClendon’s recommendation in 2001 and is jokingly referred to by his former manager as “my son.” While the Pirates can tie the major league record of 16 consecutive losing seasons this year, McClendon won’t dismiss them as a lost cause — not with proven players such as Jason Bay, Adam LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez and Wilson. But, at some point, McClendon said an organization must spend some money, and wisely, if it wants to win. That never happened in Pittsburgh when McClendon ran the show, even after the Pirates moved into revenue-generating PNC Park in 2001. One player the Pirates may spend some dollars on is right-hander Ian Snell, who has had ongoing discussions about a long-term contract. He allowed four hits and three runs over three innings, and was hurt most by a fastball he couldn’t throw by Thames in the third. Despite a strong breeze blowing toward right field, Thames’ drive carried into the grove of tall trees beyond the wall in left-center.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates probably don’t look any different to former manager Lloyd McClendon than they did when he managed them from 2001-05. They are still relying mostly on lesser-paid, lower-profile players. Still trying to get by with a payroll that is by far the lowest in the NL Central, one that is less than half that of the Chicago Cubs’ projected $115 million. “It takes time and, I know people don’t want to hear that, and it takes money, and you’ve got to have the right combination of those two,” McClendon said before managing a Tigers split squad past the Pirates. Marcus Thames hit a two-run homer in the third off Ian Snell, and Tigers starter Yorman Bazardo walked three but didn’t allow a hit or a run over two innings. For the Pirates, the times and the lack of dimes never seem to change. McClendon, now a Tigers coach, was back in a familiar role managing at McKechnie Field. Tigers manager Jim Leyland remained in Lakeland as the club played split-squad games, so McClendon ran the team that went to Bradenton. In the opposing dugout, he saw plenty of Pirates players he helped groom into big leaguers. The most prominent is shortstop Jack Wilson, who was promoted from Double-A to the minors upon McClendon’s recommendation in 2001 and is jokingly referred to by his former manager as “my son.” While the Pirates can tie the major league record of 16 consecutive losing seasons this year, McClendon won’t dismiss them as a lost cause — not with proven players such as Jason Bay, Adam LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez and Wilson. But, at some point, McClendon said an organization must spend some money, and wisely, if it wants to win. That never happened in Pittsburgh when McClendon ran the show, even after the Pirates moved into revenue-generating PNC Park in 2001. One player the Pirates may spend some dollars on is right-hander Ian Snell, who has had ongoing discussions about a long-term contract. He allowed four hits and three runs over three innings, and was hurt most by a fastball he couldn’t throw by Thames in the third. Despite a strong breeze blowing toward right field, Thames’ drive carried into the grove of tall trees beyond the wall in left-center.